


Issue #1: Strike the Sky

by Jezune



Series: All-New, All-Different Guardian [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Combat, female hyur, male hyur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21923308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jezune/pseuds/Jezune
Summary: Jezune Garinthe makes his return onto the Bloodsands, facing off against an old friend's pupil.
Series: All-New, All-Different Guardian [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578925
Kudos: 1





	Issue #1: Strike the Sky

The Hyur finished his preparations, pulling on his gilded gauntlets. First the left, then the right. A crimson flower was weaved into the folds of his hair. His hands rested upon his knees and his eyes fell shut, focusing on his breaths. In, out. In, out. 

He hummed softly, his eyes tracing the walls of the preparation chambers.  _ The Earthshaker. Apprentice to the Masked Marauder. Pretty good record. _ He wrung his hands.  _ Nothing you haven’t faced before, Jezune. _ Soft shuffling behind him interrupted his thoughts.

He turned to face the figure, raising a hand in greeting. “Well, this seems to be it, Marauder. Any last minute tips?” The unarmored behemoth of a man stood before him. He wore more casual fare than the Hyur, a leather jerkin nearly and his signature ornate wooden half-mask. Though his eyes were obscured, the corners of his lips were curled up into a small smile that betrayed his warmth. 

“Wait, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be cheering on your young protégé?"

The Roegadyn blinked at the Hyur behind his mask. “Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t really have much to teach that woman. I don’t exactly know why she’s named herself my apprentice, but… it’s no harm, I suppose.” He scratched his chin as he spoke, a thoughtful expression washing over his visible visage.

Jezune raised an eyebrow, a smirk spreading across his lips. “So does that mean you have aught to teach me, Marauder?” 

“Nope.” The Roegadyn laughed heartily. “But I thought it fitting to see off an old friend on his return to the fold.”

The hyur smirked, rising to his feet with a soft  _ clank! _ of armor. He extended a fist, lightly touching the Roegadyn’s chest. “I’ll give you a good show out there, Marauder. You and… everyone else.” 

“Oho? ‘Everyone else’? Is there someone in particular?” Jezune grinned wide at the question before stepping off towards the arena.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

* * *

“Hailing from the Shroud and wielding a custom-made Alek Kazuma gunblade, the Ravenworks’ Gilded Guardian!”

As the magically-enhanced voice boomed throughout the arena, Jezune strode confidently out towards the center, raising a hand to wave to the crowd. He bore a wide, blistering smile despite the only sparse cheers.  _ Guess I’m starting from square one again. No worries. _

“And facing him today… Ul’dah’s very own marauding mistress, the Earthshaker!” A tall woman, a Highlander Hyur, stepped out across the sand, a gleaming silver axe strapped to her back. Her weapon shined with the reflection of light from the beating sun, everywhere except the very edges. So too did her armor, a lean set designed for flexibility of movement. Beneath her dark hair she wore a harsh scowl, eyes fixated upon his.

“Let’s have a good bout, hm?” Jezune, against all odds, did not shrink against her glare, bearing a wide grin as he waved. The Earthshaker, however, made no attempt to even acknowledge his greeting. Actually, she seemed a tad bit more annoyed if anything.  _ Well. Guess it’s gonna be one of those fights. _

_ Brrring! _ Somewhere above, a bell rang out, signaling the beginning of the match. Before Jezune could even blink, he noticed a streak of silver, growing bigger before his eyes.  _ Wait, is that…?  _ The Hyur shifted his body to the right, narrowly avoiding the axe that had been launched at his face. His gaze followed it as it flew towards the wall, crashing with a dull  _ clang! _

Jezune chuckled hesitantly, turning back towards the woman. “Damn, you really don’t hesi--” 

_ Wham! _ A gauntleted right hook buried itself in his cheek. His face went hurtling towards the ground, but he managed to catch himself. Righting his stance, he looked back towards the woman. “Oh come now, that’s just ru--”

_ Wham! _ Another fist landed right where the first one had. This time, the Guardian ate dirt. Armored boots strode past him as he looked up. 

“I would suggest that you stay down..” She cracked her knuckles, walking towards her weapon, strapping it to her back. “Y’know, after you embarrassed my master, I thought you’d put up a bit more of a fight. This's really pissin' me off.”

Jezune grit his teeth, scrambling to his feet.  _ Alright, let’s get serious. _ He unsheathed his weapon, eyeing the rings on his fingers.  _ Connected to the trigger… _ He bent his body, sending the silver gunblade gliding through the air towards the Earthshaker. Just as his weapon neared her, he pulled hard with both hands. Strings connected to his fingers activated the trigger mechanism, and a blank was fired.

“You bastard!” The highlander was slammed against the wall, and her face raged with a look of renewed fury. The gunblade flew back towards Jezune, who caught it while lowering into a ready stance. His opponent sprinted towards him, unsheathing her weapon and charging. She slammed her axe into the ground with great force, the vibration throwing the Guardian off in slight.

He would turn his gunblade backwards, firing a blank into the ground behind him to right himself. As he rose, he drove a fist upward into her stomach. The Earthshaker took the full brunt of the attack, staggering back with a loud cry.

“I’ll tear ya limb from limb, you rat!” She swung her axe over her head, aiming to bring its dull blade crashing down into the Guardian’s chest. Jezune blinked, stepping forth into a deep stance and bringing his gunblade up over his head to block the swing. Steel ground against steel as both parties stood their ground - the man’s foot, however, began to dig deeper into the sand.

Jezune pulled the trigger, firing another blank. The recoil drove his blade to the side, turning away the highlander’s axe. He turned on his heel to drive his other into the side of her face. However, the effects of manipulating his aether to charge his weaponry were taking their toll. He was thrown off balance in slight, his heel drive not connecting as solidly as he would have liked.

The highlander grinned wildly, bringing up a hand to grab at his foot and pulling hard. Her arm folded and delivered an armored elbow to his nose. Jezune grimaced, turning on his heel and wresting his leg from her grip, sending his heel into her bare stomach. Distance was created between them, and with it time to breathe.

_ One more… Don’t think I can last much longer. _ Breathing heavy, Jezune loaded two more blank cartridges into his gunblade as he looked towards his opponent, just as worse for wear. Steadying himself, the hyur launched off his back foot, charging towards his opponent. She raised her axe above her head, spinning it once before aiming to swing it down towards him.

As he neared, the midlander swung his gunblade downwards between his legs, firing off a blank before the woman’s axe could fall upon him. His feet left the ground and he raised a knee, driving it into the woman’s chin. She was thrown off balance as he flew over her. He pulled the trigger once more, the recoil from the blank launching his opponent into the ground.

He landed on his feet, turning on his heel to face his opponent with his weapon at the ready. Each breath was heavier and heavier.

Seconds passed. Minutes. Hours. Days. Eons passed in the span of a few brief moments until -  _ Pop! _ Confetti fell slow from the sky. Jezune breathed a sigh of relief, raising a fist to the sky amidst the roar of the crowd. He removed the rose from his hair, tossing it to the crowd with a flourish, all while a single thought ran through his head.

_ I’m back. _

  
  



End file.
